Thestrals Below the Mistletoe
by JacobApples
Summary: What if at the Hallway of Mysteries Sirius survives with one well placed disarming charm? It worked against the Dark Lord, didn't it? What if Harry's luck and timing worked in his favor? What does it mean for a phoenix to die? What happens if all the Horcruxes are killed before sixth year? What if Harry saw Luna for who she was? The love of his life. No updates planned.
1. The Death of a Phoenix

Dyslexia: I have it, it is a language disability, get over it, or read something published.

Disclaimer: JKR has all her rights. Also first section direct quote from _Order of the Phoenix_ , only direct long passage, promise.

Summary: What if Sirius survives with one well placed disarming charm? It worked against the Dark Lord, didn't it? What if Harry's luck and timing worked in his favor? What does it mean for a phoenix to die? What happens if _all_ the Horcruxes are killed before sixth year? What if Harry saw Luna for who she was? The Love of his Life.

AN: No time travel this time, just a sixth year story that doesn't make me want to stab things. Hoping to make this cheerier than my other fics. I missed Luna. #MissingLunaLovegood

* * *

" _Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?"_

 _"...I think the answer is that a circle has no beginning." -Luna Lovegood_

* * *

Chapter 1 - The Death of a Phoenix

"Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body–they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thoughts of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there and yelled to the others. One of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line–

Only one pair was still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: he was laughing at her.

'Come on, you can do better than that!' he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room."

" _Expelliarmus!"_ Harry shouted from across the room.

Bellatrix turned to him, eyes wide, genuine surprise crossed her face. And then she smiled wickedly, when her wand touched his hand her lips moved.

Harry couldn't hear the words but he was suddenly dragged from the Hallway of Mysteries, the world whipped around him in a dizzying blur. He crashed into the side of the fountain in the front of the ministry. Harry snapped her wand before he could so much as sit up.

"Harry Potter."

Harry looked behind him at Voldemort smiling down at him.

" _Avada Kedavra,"_ he purred at the same moment fire burned around Harry, fire that was warm but did not burn him.

Orange, white, green; the flame was green.

They became flame, and then they were black smoke, in a snake, in a locket, in a crown, in a cup, in a stone, and the black smoke screamed and was cast into flame.

Fawkes and Harry died together.

The world went dark as if someone had blown out a candle.

* * *

Harry came to himself in a fog of white mist, in his hands he held an egg smaller than a chicken's and more slender. It was whiter than the mist around him and seemed to give off its own light. Slowly the platform of the Hogwarts formed from the mist.

"Harry," a gentle voice called.

He knew that voice, he turned in his thoughts stopped, "Mum?"

Lily Potter held out her arms to her son, her flaming hair contrasting with the emeralds green of her eyes.

He ran to her, wrapping his arms around her and never wanted to let her go.

She hugged him tightly, and a second pair of arms wrapped around them both. Harry looked up and saw his father smiling down at him

And they were kidding when they said they looked alike, though Harry _did_ have his mother's eyes and his hair was a few shades darker his.

"We love you, Harry, so very, very much," his mum said.

He hugged her tighter, though careful not to harm the egg in his hand, "I love you, too."

"I couldn't be prouder of the man you've become. You're a better man than I," his dad said, resting a hand on Harry's head.

"I've missed you both," he said even if it sounded silly, it wasn't as if he had really gotten to know them as people.

"And we will always be waiting for you," his Mum said, kissing his temple.

Harry pulled back a bit, "What do you mean?"

"You have a life to live, my son," his Dad said. "We aren't the only ones who love you. Tell Sirius there is no use living in the past now that he has you back."

"But I died," Harry said confused. "I can't go back, can I?"

They both pulled back from him, his father taking his left hand, his mother his right. "Harry," Mum began, turning up his hand, he uncurled his fingers around the glowing egg.

"I gave my life to a ritual that would protect you, and Voldemort attempted to use your death to make a Horcrux."

"A Horcrux?"

"You killed one your second year," his father supplied, "They're all gone now." He touched Harry's scar with his free hand. "Including the one that kept your mind connected to his."

His mother folded his fingers back around the egg, "Today a phoenix gave his life to you. You've both died, but you are not dead."

"What?" he asked. He was starting to panic as the white mist of King Cross began to recede.

"We love you," they said. His mother kissed his cheek, and his father kissed the top of his head.

"Please," Harry said as the images began to fade, "please, I don't want to go."

"Live," his father told him, "All pain is temporary, all life is temporary-"

"But love is eternal," his Mum finished.

"I love you," Harry said, their hands let go of his, and he was plunged back into darkness.

* * *

Dying didn't hurt, not a bit, at least not with Phoenix flame and the Killing Curse, but coming back to life?

That hurt like being hit by a freight train. Harry came to gasping for air.

Sirius was holding him, his face wet with tears. Dumbledore was kneeling beside him too, his cheeks were also slick with tears.

"Harry!" they exclaimed in unison when they realized his eyes were open.

"I saw them," he croaked.

"Saw who?" Sirius asked.

"My parents," Harry said hoarsely, it felt as if he had swallowed ash, "Dad said to tell you that it was no use living in the past now that you have me back."

Sirius laughed, though it wasn't his normal jovial bark. He hugged Harry tight, "That's right kid, we're in it together now."

Harry relaxed in his godfather's grip, sleeping felt like the right thing to do just then. He heard people shouting and camera flashes, but he felt safe. Nobody was getting past his godfather and Dumbledore.

"Fawkes," Harry said, trying to sit up.

Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder, "He's passed on, Harry. It was his time."

Harry held out his right hand to Dumbledore, which the old wizard took in both his weathered hands. When Harry opened his fingers, the gleaming egg was a warm pulse in his hand.

Dumbledore smiled at him, his eyes twinkling an effect made more noticeable with the tears pooling there. Just like his mother had done, Dumbledore folded his fingers back around the egg. "Fawkes left this little one behind for you, I think."

Harry held the egg to his chest and sank back against Sirius. He stopped fighting to stay awake. Sirius was safe. They were both safe.

They were alive.

* * *

AN: Voldemort is alive with a body without any Horcruxes. Review if you want more. Please?


	2. Friends

WARNING: Buckle up for some hardcore sap. Chapters will be short, the plot is kind of stuck on cavity creating sweetness, all though I'm sure I'll add in some surprises, this is scheduled to be a low key year at Hogwarts _-la gasp!_

* * *

" _I enjoyed the meetings, too. It was like having friends." - Luna Lovegood_

* * *

Chapter 2 - Friends

"So the good news is you don't have to live with the Dursleys anymore," Sirius said as they stepped into the dark gloom of Grimmauld Place, "The bad news is we have to live here because of the wards."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, resting his luggage to the side of the entrance as Dumbledore followed him. "But there is no bad news after not living with the Dursleys. So long as we are together we could be squatting under a bridge and it would be better."

McGonagall made a harsh sound, "I told you, Albus. _I told you._ They were the worst sort, didn't I?"

Dumbledore smiled at her, though his eyes shone with regret that Harry was somewhat pleased to see. "That you did, Minerva, that you did."

"Well, I have him now, so why don't we all sit down for some tea," Sirius said, his smile was huge and practically skipped to the kitchen.

Harry, Dumbledore, and McGonagall followed. It would be a small order meeting today, and regrettably, Snape was supposed to join them too.

Harry had woken in St. Mungo's, he was fine, of course, but tell that to the healers trying to be _the_ one to find the reason he had survived the Killing Curse, _again._

Everyone else had been allowed to return to school and take the Hogwarts Express home.

Sirius was whistling as he prepared tea. They were all seated and Sirius was passing out teacups when Snape walked in.

"Hello Severus, care for some tea," Sirius greeted with a grin.

Snape froze in the doorway, his surprised scowl, made Harry hide a smile behind his teacup.

"Black," Snape greeted hostile.

"Black tea it is then," Sirius said with his bark of a laugh.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Are you happy with yourself, Seriously Tea?"

Sirius grinned impossibly wider, "You have no idea."

"Don't let your new found freedom go to your head," McGonagall warned. "Cleared of all charges does not mean cleared of all future crimes."

"Would I do something like that?" he mock pouted.

"Yes," Harry, McGonagall, and Snape said in unison.

Dumbledore eye-twinkled at everyone in the room.

"So what's the report?" Harry asked Snape boldy.

Snape looked at him as if he were dog poop left the corner of the room, but surprisingly, he answered, "The Dark Lord is greatly injured, he hasn't left his bedroom. Lucius, Bellatrix, and most of the Death Eaters who were at the ministry have been imprisoned. Though Bellatrix is rumoured to be receiving the Kiss.

"We haven't won, but recruiting is down, those who remain in the ministry are afraid to act, and everything seems to be a stand still until he recovers."

"Pity you can't tell us where he is," Sirius remarked more soberly.

"I don't think it would do us much good," Harry defended, "Vold-er- Riddle, is really good at running away."

No one argued with him.

They all drank their tea, and it was Snape who asked Dumbledore, "Are you going to explain how Potter once more survived or have you resigned yourself to being cryptic?"

Harry couldn't help feeling that the way Snape sneered cryptic the word he wanted to use was decrepit.

"At the moment Tom hit you, Harry, with the Killing Curse, Fawkes was trying to transport you to safety, in that briefest of moments, Fawkes was vulnerable and the combined magicks caused him to burn out, as for how you survived, Harry…"

Harry ran his thumb over the smooth surface of the Phoenix egg held in his lap and said, "Let me guess, it had something to do with Horcrux in my scar that Riddle killed when he was trying to kill me."

"Horcrux!?" Sirius and Snape sputtered.

Dumbledore nodded, "Honestly, Harry I wasn't sure how to remove it without causing your death. Tom's magic had ingrained with yours so completely that I didn't know if they could be separated. I feared the worst when your versions began and you struggled with Occlumency."

Harry glared at Snape, who had the grace to look -well not embarrassed, but not smug either.

"What is a Horcrux?" McGonagall asked.

"It's an object a dark wizard puts half his soul into," Sirius explained

"And how would you know that?" Snape drawled, "I thought the Dark Arts were beneath you."

Sirius motioned to the house around them, "I may not like it, but I am a Black, and my mother's idea of a bedtime story would have you crapping yourself, Snivellus."

Harry sighed, _and they had been doing so well._

"So, he cut his own soul in two, and that soul piece wound up in Harry?" McGonagall asked.

"Yep," Harry said, "But I wasn't the only one; Nagini, the Diary Ginny had in my second year, a cup, a crown, a stone, and a ring. But aside from the already dead diary, they burned with us. My dad said they are all gone now."

Dumbledore slumped into his seat, "Good, that's… that's wonderous news."

"What do you mean your father told you?" Snape asked caustically. "James Potter is dead."

"So was I," Harry retorted.

"You saw James?" McGonagall asked, "You saw- was it really him?"

Harry had the feeling she wasn't asking about his father, "Yes, it was really them."

"Them?" Snape asked.

"My mum was there too."

Snape looked as if he had been slapped.

"Speaking of my mum," he said, watching Snape closely, "can someone please explain to me why the 'Dark Lord' was after a baby? I mean I get why he wants me dead now, but that weapon in the Hallway of Mysteries… It wasn't a weapon, it was just a prophecy. Which doesn't make any sense because Divinations is a stupid subject."

McGonagall's lips twitched upward, "So pleased you will be dropping it this coming year."

Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak but Snape cut him off, "No, I'll tell them, and if Black kills me I will have deserved it."

This got their attention. And Snape spoke directly to Harry, "I was young, and I was stupid. I joined the Dark Lord because I thought it would raise my station, I didn't quite realize how extreme his methods were until I joined-" he held up a hand to stop Sirius from saying something biting.

"I know that isn't an excuse. I know it. And I did things I will regret for the rest of eternity. Including making you a target, Potter, you and Longbottom."

Harry thought of the Longbottoms, of Neville, and he leaned back in his seat away from Snape. Harry glared at Dumbledore, how could he let Snape teach if he was involved with what happened to the Longbottoms?

Snape continued, "I heard the prophecy, or at least part of it. And Voldemort took it to mean that either you or Longbottom would have the power to defeat him one day. So if he destroyed you, then no one could stop him. I begged him to spare Lily, and when I realized he would never spare her, or any of you, I went to Dumbledore."

"Just Lily," McGonagall said softly, her gaze reproachful.

Snape bowed his head.

"You always were scum," Sirius declared, "Nothing new there."

"Severus has turned a new leaf," Dumbledore defended.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, "You try being one of his students."

"I've saved your life, repeatedly," Snape spat.

"Yeah, and you've also tried to get me expelled, repeatedly. And you know what, this whole Ministry fiasco wouldn't have happened if you had just slipped me a message that Sirius was okay, or that you would check on him."

"How was I supposed to know you attempt to rescue your mongrel godfather?"

Sirius coughed, and McGonagall gave Snape an exasperated look as she said, "That's exactly what you should have known he'd do. It's what Lily would have done."

Snape went very still at that.

And Harry realized then that he still loved. That Severus Snape still loved Lily. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, on one hand, it was sad, on the other, it was a bit creepy. James Potter might have been a bully, but in Harry's unbiased opinion, he was still a better choice than Snape.

And there Harry stopped the train of thought. _Nope. No. Not going there. Just- no._

"No wonder James was so paranoid," Sirius said. "Lily and he never told me _why_ Voldemort was after Harry. But you had them spooked, Dumbledore. Lily was adamant that you not be the Secret Keeper, in hindsight, you were the best choice."

"And why didn't Lily trust him?" Harry asked.

Sirius sighed, "Because Lily could accept nearly anyone, with any fault, unless they withheld secrets from her. Dumbledore was too secretive for her liking. Of course, if she was researching ritual magic that could counteract Killing Curses, Dumbledore wasn't the only one keeping secrets."

Harry felt very tired all of a sudden, "So what did this prophecy say exactly?"

Dumbledore told him.

Harry just stared at him. His entire life… his parents… lost, because Professor Trelawney wasn't a hack. "I hate Divinations," he said with feeling.

* * *

Kreacher had been listening to the wizards' conversation and he understood one thing, holding Regulus's Locket in his hand, the malevolence of it gone. Empty.

Harry Potter had fulfilled his Master's dying wish.

Kreacher figured the least he could do was clean the boy's room.

* * *

"Is it just me or does Kreature like you," Sirius asked two weeks after Harry had moved in.

"It's kind of bizarre. Did you notice he stopped ranting under his breath?"

Sirius poked at soup he was making, "I wish I could trust him to make food for us."

Harry took the spoon from his godfather, "Sit down, I know how to cook, and I promise not to poison us."

"I can't let you cook for us."

"Sirius, you will let me cook because if I have to go another day eating prison food and pretending what you serve is edible, I am going to take Buckbeak and burn the place down."

"You say that like it's a threat," Sirius said cheerily, "I say we start with my mother's portrait."

Harry brandished the spoon at him, "Get away from my stove, mutt."

"Your stove?" Sirius asked in outrage, he sounded believable, but he was grinning. "I'll have you know that that stove has passed down from generations of Blac-"

Harry whistled sharply, and from the hall, they heard Mrs. Black begin to wail.

Sirius frowned, "No fair. You can't sick my mother on me whenever you want to get out of an argument."

"Mrs. Black!" Harry shouted, "We are having a tea party for werewolves tonight!"

The sound that reached them would have made a banshee envious.

Sirius held up his hands in surrender, before trotting off to the hall to wage war against the currents around his mother's portrait.

The meal Harry made was not only edible but tasty, Sirius thanked him graciously and never tried to prevent his godson from cooking again.

* * *

Luna was startled to find Harry's snowy owl on her window sill one morning.

"Good morning, beautiful," she greeted.

Hedwig hooted sagely, and leaned into Luna's hand as she reached to pet her head. Hedwig rubbed her head against her hand, releasing a soft trilling sigh.

Luna decided right then that this was the cutest owl on the planet.

After Hedwig had had her fill of affection, she held her leg out with the letter she had been sent to deliver.

The message was short, but it meant more than anything to Luna.

 _Dear Luna,_

 _I was told you were okay, but I wanted to know how you are now? You were incredible at the Ministry. Truly incredible._

 _Sirius has been telling me I shouldn't have put us all at risk for him. And he's right. I'm sorry I put you, and the others, in danger. It was a trap and I fell for it._

 _But I'll never be able to thank you enough. I don't know what would have happened without you. Had you not thought of thestrals, had we -Ron, Hermione, and I, been alone, had I been alone…_

 _Thank you._

 _Anyways, I hope you are doing well and enjoying your summer._

 _Your Friend,_

 _Harry_

"What's that?" her father asked, coming into her room with a large sack of potatoes, "Your OWLs?"

"Nope," she said with a smile, and hugged the letter to her chest, "It's a letter from a friend."

Her father smiled at her, "Friends are good."

Hedwig hooted her agreement.

For Luna, the summer had just become far brighter and the prospect of returning to Hogwarts far more welcoming.

* * *

AN: Thoughts, reactions, hopes, dreams? Please?


	3. What Should Have Been

Chapter 3 - What Should Have Been

Harry had fallen asleep, his head resting on Sirius's leg.

It was a wondrous thing to be free, but the regret, the near debilitating regret that he hadn't been able to save James and Lily, that he hadn't taken Harry from Hagrid instead of going out for revenge.

This summer Sirius had learned a lot about Harry. Learned that he was a great deal more like Lily than James.

Yes, he could be as adventurous as James, but Harry was also sweet, stubborn, and had a slight temper, which was all Lily Evans.

Sirius watched his face in the firelight, he certainly hadn't been this relaxed last year, but then he'd had a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head.

He wondered what Harry had been like when he was little, wondered at the thousands of questions he must have asked, at the trouble he undoubtedly got into.

Sirius' chest felt tight, and he swore to himself, to James, to Lily, that he would do things right from here on out. He would always be here for Harry, and he watched him, graduate, get a career, support him, see him through this damn war, see him win some girl's heart, and be there to see James' grandkids.

They were going to live life to fullest, and he was going to be there.

* * *

Harry waved to Sirius who waved back -in human form, as the train pulled away from the station.

Harry was smiling widely and he got a glimpse of tears in Sirius's eyes even as he smiled back. It had been the best summer, the very best.

They had gone school shopping the day before, and though people were still wary of Sirius, they made it through the day unharassed. They had even out at a restaurant. It was a first for Harry. Sure he had been to a dinner a few times, and pubs, but never a real restaurant with tablecloths and appetizers, _and_ a main course _and_ dessert. Only at Hogwarts or Mrs. Weasleys had he had that. And that was very different than sitting in a semi-quiet restaurant with only one person across from.

Harry was sad to leave his godfather, but excited to have someone to send letters home to, letters that didn't need to be coded, where they could use their real names.

Soon enough Sirius was whisked out of sight and Harry pulled back into the compartments looking for a real seat.

He bumped into Draco Malfoy who looked tired. "Potter," he growled.

"Hi, Malfoy," he responded cheerily, he was in far too good a mood to exchange insults with Malfoy today.

And his politeness seemed to through the sallow faced boy, he looked at Harry as if he had grown a second head.

Just for the fun of it, Harry reached out and snagged Draco's hand, saying, "Good to see you," giving it one firm shake, before Draco yanked his arm away as if Harry had burned him.

The shock on his face made Harry laughed, and Draco, as well as the other Slytherins, got out of his way as he walked further down the hall.

He heard Zabini, "Potter finally cracked."

"He is Heir to the House of Black now," Nott remarked.

"My mother was a Black," Malfoy snarled.

"We know," the Slytherins around him chorused.

Harry was still grinning to himself as he found Neville and Luna in a compartment together.

They greeted each other with friendly hellos and then Luna and Harry got down to business.

Harry transfigured his old history of magic textbook into a table and Luna and Harry both laid out their copies of the Quibbler to the seventh and eighth page.

"Um?" Neville said, peering at them both, "What are you doing?"

"Sssshhhhhh!" they both said, and Luna whispered. "You'll scare it away."

Neville didn't ask _what_ they were looking for and went back to his book as Harry and Luna focused on the shifting drown image of a forest.

Luna kicked Harry's foot under the table and she pointed her wand at the page, " _Engorgio, Revelio, Finite!_ " She cast the spells in quick succession.

Harry reached into the page and pulled out a kitten, at which point Ron and Hermione walked in.

Harry passed the kitten over to Luna who cradled the mewing feline.

"Um?" Ron began.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, "Did you just pull that out of the Quibbler?"

Harry folded the papers and transfigured the table back into a book, he nodded, "Some idiot cursed his semi-wild kitten into a picture after it bit him. He couldn't get the cat out and decided to print the picture in the newspaper. Luna and I were discussing it through letters and we decided the best thing was to do was to put two papers together and wait till we saw it."

Hermione frowned, "But couldn't it have been in any of the newspapers?"

"It's been a month since it was printed," Luna said, "we the cat was most likely to go to the pictures that had sunlight."

"We?" Ron asked.

"Is it okay?" Hermione asked worriedly.

Luna held up the partially albino Serval kitten, looking it deep into its blue eyes. Its greyish black spots contrasted against its milky fur, its ars were larger than most cats, and its neck was elegant. "She seems okay, we'll have to give her a name."

"She's really been trapped in the newspaper?" Hermione asked again, "Isn't it starving?"

Harry held up a hand, and pulled the small dish out of his trunk. "Sirius and I went shopping, it's chicken breast." He pulled out a second dish and cast, filled it up with water with his wand. He held the water dish out to the kitten as it cowered in Luna's lap, slowly she extended her long neck and lapped at the water. She wasn't interested in eating just yet.

"A full month though," Hermione remarked sitting beside Luna.

"She didn't age in the picture," Luna comforted her.

Ron sat beside Harry and asked, "How did you get roped into this?"

Harry frowned at Ron's phrasing, "Luna and I have been exchanging letters all summer."

"You exchanged letters with us too," he objected.

"Yeah, but after the second letter you didn't seem to have more to say."

"But you did."

Harry shook his head, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, just thought we would see each other more this summer."

"You-Know-Who is still alive," Hermione defended, "He could have put you all in danger if they visited the Burrow."

Ron deflated, "Right."

Ginny burst in then her face flushed, her eyes blazing.

"What's wrong?" they all asked her.

She said one word, "Dean."

"What did he do?" Ron asked.

"Talking about things he doesn't understand," she said haughtily, sitting down across from Ron with Luna and Hermione.

Ginny gave Harry an appraising look, "You look better, Harry. Did you have a good summer?"

He smiled brightly, "It was the best! How about you?"

She blinked at him, as if she had suddenly lost her words, "Er, it- it was alright."

The rest of the train ride went by pleasantly until Slughorn summoned Hermione, Ginny, and him for lunch. A Lunch that lasted for nearly the whole ride to Hogwarts. Dumbledore had brought Harry to meet Slughorn the new Potions Professor over the summer.

It had been an interesting first impression, not greatly improved by the second.

* * *

Blaise was bored. Another party.

Well, this wasn't exactly a party but it was similar enough to the hundreds of gatherings his mother had dragged him to.

Always be received, never give away what you're feeling unless it is was to show superiority over others.

It was exhausting.

But not as exhausting is been in the same closed space as Harry Potter and his mudblood.

Although, even he had to admit neither was hard on the eyes. It wasn't something most boys thought about other boys, but his mother was obsessive about fashion and good grooming -or breeding, that it was now hard for him not to notice.

Potter had gained a few inches of height, and though he wasn't a thickly built, he had filled out so he no longer looked half starved. He also wasn't scowling or looking self-absorbedly depressed.

Blaise hoped his change of mood meant that war, if one could call it that, would be over soon.

The muggle-born had undergone a more impressive filling out. And she seemed to finally to have done something with her hair. He rather liked her hair, and her dark eyes reminded him of milk chocolate.

It grated that this ill-born girl was the smartest in their year.

He also couldn't fathom why she was in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw would have seemed so much more natural.

But then he so supposed she would have to be brave to be Potter's friend. After all, it wasn't every mudblood that went looking for Death Eaters to exchange spells with.

It really was a pity she had been muggle-born.

* * *

"I can't believe Snape is the DADA professor," Ron mourned.

"I'm just grateful I can take potions this year," Harry said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Exceeds Expectations is enough to get into Slughorn's class."

"Oh, good," Hermione said smiling, "That's another class we'll all have together."

"I didn't register for potions," Ron said, "And I won't either. I don't think Slug will be much better than Snape, I've never met a Slytherin I like."

Hermione and Harry exchanged a look.

"Harry," someone called down the table, "When are Quidditch tryouts?"

"I will let you know soon," Harry called back, "I'll post it in the common room."

The Feast was over and Hagrid waved to their trio, "See you lot tomorrow morning, bright and early!"

Harry waved back while Hermione and Ron looked nervous.

"Oh, what are we going to tell Hagrid?"

Harry gave her a sideways look, "What do you mean? What do we need to tell Hagrid?"

"We need to tell him we aren't taking his class," Ron said, "But he had to know we didn't like his subject."

"I can tell Hagrid for you," Harry offered, "I'm sure he'll understand."

Hermione gave him a withering look, "You don't think telling him his three favorite students aren't attending his class is going to upset him? Honestly, I don't know anyone in the sixth year who is going to take his class."

"I am," Harry said.

"What?" they both asked him, shocked.

Harry put a hand to his chest, where he kept a padded pouch holding the Phoenix egg. Sirius had spelled it to ward against getting crushed or hit by basic spells. Harry could feel the warmth of it even through his shirt and the pouch, it hadn't shown any signs of hatching, but he was afraid to let it out of his sight.

"Fawkes saved my life, I can't not take Care of Magical Creatures. Besides a lot of the course work this year is supposed to coincide with DADA stuff. And I want to be the best, I want to be able to take down anyone without resorting to the Dark Arts."

Hermione grinned, "So you're going take coursework seriously this year."

He nodded, "Along with Quidditch, I mean, I am captain after all."

* * *

As Hermione had predicted no one had chosen to take Care of Magical Creatures that year, except for Harry.

Far from being displeased by this, Hagrid was elated.

"Well, I'll miss Ron and Hermione but this will be excellent. I can trust you and we can get into some really cool stuff."

By 'cool stuff' he was pretty sure Hagrid meant dangerous.

But Harry had dealt with Blast Ended Skrewts, Sphinxes, Dragons, Dementors, Centaurs, giant spiders, Basilisks- at this point Hagrid would have to tie him up and feed him to something to be more dangerous than Harry had experienced before. Which of course Hagrid would never do.

"Come on," Hagrid said, tossing Harry a length of dead ferrets, "Let's go feed the Hippogryphs, I'm sure Witherwings has missed you."

* * *

Slughorn's class was surprisingly fun.

Harry, possibly the only person not obsessed with winning the potion took his time with it.

He had spent a lot of time cooking this summer, experimenting with recipes that Aunt Petunia wouldn't have touched with a ten foot pole.

He and Sirius hadn't risked going out much to Diagon Alley, but that had spent a lot of time walking around in the muggle world under disguises.

Harry had picked up several cookbooks, his favorite was one from Southern France that had Spanish, Italian, and Greek recipes.

When Sirius had learned that Harry didn't think he was good at Potions, Sirius had been outraged.

"But you can cook _and_ bake. You're better than your mum, and that was one of the reasons she was so good at Potions. Didn't Snape teach you Potions Theory?"

"No?" Harry had responded.

And an hour later Sirius was lecturing him about the proper stir patterns types of potions ingredients. "Animal parts or leavings are different from plants. And animated plants are different from herbs and spices that simple have magical properties."

Harry had learned more from his godfather than he had in five years with Snape.

"Disregard most of the things in the textbooks, at the very least, Snape must have taught you what explodes together."

Harry nodded, though he was pretty sure it was Neville who had taught the class that.

"So follow your instincts," Sirius said, "And don't explode you're cauldron or create noxious gas."

Harry had grinned at that.

It was this advice that had Harry frowning at the text. Instead of cutting his bean, he crushed it like a nut with the side of his blade.

The potion turned lilac like it was supposed to.

Harry smiled, and going on a hunch from the potions Sirius had had him brew with only an ingredients list, he stirred clockwise six times and once in the other direction.

His potion wasn't perfect and he thought that perhaps he should have stirred clockwise seven times and paused longer after the eighth.

He made a note in his book.

"Times up!"

Hermione glared at his potion, "How did you do that?"

"Sirius helped me this summer, he wanted to restock on simple stuff. He had me do nearly everything from the last five years with only an ingredients list and a hint here and there."

She stared at him, "Your memory isn't as good as mine."

"No, it isn't, Sirius made me learn the theory. It's kind of like baking. You know, you don't mix the sugar and the flower together when mixing a cake."

She blinked at him, "You bake?"

"Harry!" Slughorn said warmly, "The clear winner! Just a bit off color, but this would still do its job. A natural talent, just like your mother."

He felt great affection for the old Potions Professor in that moment, it was a wonderful thing to have a connection to one's parent for something other than eye color.

* * *

AN: Thoughts, reactions, desires? Pretty please?


	4. Delivery

AN: I may be getting degrees in the humanities, but I do love science, you might like me less so because of that ;)

* * *

 _"That's no reason for them to take your things," he said flatly. "D'you want help finding them?"_

 _"Oh no," she said, smiling at him. "They'll come back, they always do in the end."_

* * *

Chapter 4 - Delivery

"Make sure you don't put your finger in the foal's mouth, it'll take your finger right off," Hagrid coached, as ran a calming hand down the mama hippogryph currently trying to push out her young.

Harry, lucky, lucky, Harry, had smaller hands -he did get gloves, so he got to be the on to reach into mare's backside to help the feet, knees, and wings not get caught as it birthed into its new world.

So far, Harry couldn't see much, but he had reached in and felt the taloned feet. "Hagrid?" he asked worriedly.

"Head or feet?" Hagrid asked seriously, the time was ticking and this Hippogryph had been in labour for a long time with not so much as toe to prove it.

"Okay, Harry, listen to me closely, we need to get that baby out before it suffocates. I need you to get a hold of its feet and pull slowly. Once the head comes out you need to get the mucus off its beak. From there either it will breathe and it will come out on its own or you have to keep pulling."

Shoving aside his apprehension, Harry reached back into to the mama hippogryph and found the feet. He took it as a good sign that when he wrapped his hands around the taloned feet, the curled around his hands in turn. Harry began to pull, his arms straining even as he went slow, slow enough that the mare's attempts to push were helping.

Harry and the baby's hands emerged together, covered in blood and gunk, he didn't pause to be horrified as he continued, the mare let out a pained but somehow relieved screech. The next moment a beak emerged. He let go of the feet and began to free the beak of the mucus. The foal seemed to take a breath, and suddenly the baby and the mama were doing all the work.

"The wings, Harry," Hagrid said between praising the mare.

Harry reached above the foal, and as he or she emerged into the world, Harry's hands rounded over the bend of its wings so it slipped to the ground in a smooth, goopey heap..

"He's breathing," Hagrid said delightedly.

The mare turned -staggered, around to see her baby, she fell to her knees beside him or her, her sides heaving as she began to lick her foal clean. One of her chestnut speckled wings spread to shield her young.

The baby was a darker brown, almost black, and it's underside seemed to be creme coloured. But Harry wasn't exactly sure as it was still somewhat messy.

Hagrid's big hand patted him on the back, "Well done, Harry! Well done, indeed! You know, you're probably the first young wizard to do that in a century whose parents weren't Magizoologists or illegal breeders."

Harry watched the foal and its mother and felt… he didn't know how he felt, but it was big in his chest, like he had accomplished something that mattered.

"Come on, we will hose you down, drying spells are easier than cleaning spells for that much organic material. You should probably take a shower before you're next class too."

Harry looked down at his hands and arms, yeah, being housed down followed by a real shower sounded like a damn good idea.

* * *

"Mr. Potter," Snape sneered at him as he arrived in DADA ten minutes. "Late the first day of the new term, twenty points from Gryffindor."

Harry bowed to the snarky bastard before taking a place beside Hermione, who seemed to be exchanging spells with Neville and Ron. The members of the DA club grinned at the show of defiance, Snape ignored it and turned to ridicule a few of the Hufflepuffs.

"Where were you?" Hermione asked under her breath, "And why's your hair wet?"

"Magical Creatures," Harry said simply.

"I can't believe you took that class," Neville whispered, "You're the only one, right?"

"Yep, twice a week with Hagrid and things that may or may not want to bite my head off," Harry said cheerfully, with Snape teaching DADA it might very well become his favourite class.

Especially as Ron and Hermione began to bicker, and Hermione still seemed a bit prickly about his progress in potions.

"What are we doing?" Harry asked Neville as he watched the room whispering spells under their breath.

"We are practising non-verbal spells."

"Oh," Harry said, and taking another look around the room that was most assuredly not silent, he asked, "How do we do that?"

"Concentration and mind power," Hermione, doubtlessly, quoted to him.

"Right," Harry said a bit drily, that explanation told him nothing even as he watched Hermione zap Ron without uttering a syllable.

Turning back to Neville, Harry pointed his wand pictured Neville to be a dementor. Harry knew what using magic will power or 'mind power' was and he knew how to concentrate on a spell.

Harry thought _Rictusempra_ as he waved his wand and willed the spell to hit Neville.

Surprisingly, it worked, and Neville broke out laughing as he chittered in the skin. Before Snape could yell at them, Harry cast _Finite_ at his friend.

Snape did glare at them, and the rest of the class looked at them as if they were mad, no one but Slytherins laughed in Snape's class. But they moved on.

"How?" Neville asked.

Harry shrugged, "I think we've all cast spells wordlessly before, just think the word, make it loud in your head and _believe_ it will work."

Neville who had become one of Harry's best students in the DA, trusted him, and the next thing Harry knew he was throwing up a shield charm to avoid getting stunned.

The Patils joined them halfway through the class, and then, well, people were switching partners with Harry and Neville, who ended up teaching half the class right under Snape's ugly nose.

So focused on trying to ensure the Slytherins did well, Snape didn't catch on to what the rest of the sixth years were up to something until the end of class, at which point they were saved by the bell.

Boot punched up at the air as they left, and whisper-yelled, "Long live Dumbledore's Army."

Some of the girls giggled, some of the boys chuckled under their breaths, and the Slytherins looked at them all like they were mad.

* * *

The moment Blaise realized that Potter, _Harry_ Potter was doing a better job at teaching them than Professor Snape, he felt, well he felt slow for being on the losing side, again.

Blaise Zabini had no doubts he was a Slytherin, but he hated being one, because the sole thing that defined most as Slytherin was his ambition. And as far as he could tell, Slytherins were all losers.

Old money rotting away with pompous flare and the joyless knowledge that being born to magic was the way the world was supposed to be.

It was a shaky base seeing as the smartest student in their class was Hermione Granger.

He hated her. He hated her and her boyfriend, Potter. Hated them because they challenged everything he knew, everything he was taught to believe.

"Potter thinks he so wonderful," Malfoy sneered, "Him and his Granger, but we know what true power is."

Blaise felt his left eyelid twitch. Hearing his thoughts repeated by Malfoy was a sobering experience. Perhaps he truly had picked the wrong side to stand on, perhaps his mother really was full of shite.

Potter, Professor Snape, Granger, and Malfoy, Merlin damn them all.

* * *

It wasn't a bad week, no perhaps, it was the best start of term yet. She had a new kitty, a familiar, she named the pretty kitty Dilly, short for Daffadowndilly. She had completely recovered from her spook in the newspaper. Hogwarts was not a bad place, she liked the magic here. And Harry was her friend now, the future looked so bright.

But then her shoes had gone missing again.

Colder days were coming and her toes already felt cold at the thought of stone beneath her feet.

She hugged Dilly to her chest, the cat purring like a small motor rested her furry chin on Luna's heart.

It was good not to be alone.

* * *

"So what exactly did Hagrid have you doing that you missed lunch?" Hermione asked.

Harry was about to tell them when Ron interrupted with a snort, "Was it some type of worm or was he trying blast-ended skrewts again."

"No," Harry said, "It was actually-" he cut himself off this time as he saw Luna enter the Hall.

Her feet were bare.

Again.

"Harry," Hermione asked worriedly, "Harry, your eyes are glowing."

Ginny put a hand on his as she sat down beside him for dinner, "Harry, are you-"

But Harry ignored them all, he could feel his anger boiling in his veins, felt a breeze form, and knew that if he interrogated Luna now he might freak her out.

Last year she hadn't accepted his help. This year he wouldn't give her the chance to refuse, and her tormenters would pay for it.

Harry strode out of the Great Hall, following his anger up, and up, and up to Ravenclaw Tower.

He wondered what would happen if he summoned the shoes to him through the dorm. For he knew this was the Ravenclaw dorm, he saw it often enough on the Mauarader's Map.

He jumped when the bronze knocker spoke, asking, "Why do the stars deserve names?"

Harry blinked at it, his anger receding. _Figures,_ the way into the Ravenclaw dorm would be a mind puzzle.

"Er, they don't deserve- I mean, we don't name stars because the stars care about having names, we name stars so we know where we are, at least that's why we started naming them, us humans."

"Indeed," the knocker said, and the door to the dorm swung open.

 _Well, that was easy_ , Harry thought as he slipped his invisibility cloak over himself from his bag as he entered.

Rather than summoning the shoes to him, Harry used the Point Me spell.

The dorms were oddly split, that was to say, there was nothing stopping Harry from walking down the girls' corridor. The spell did not lead him to the fifth year dorm, but to the seventh year dorm. His heart sank, he didn't like Cho anymore, but he didn't like to think he could ever have had a crush on someone who would hurt Luna.

Harry was going to reach for the door, but common sense stopped him. He backed away from the door and looked at, there was no way there were no blocks to keep the boys out.

Just then the second to last door opened and Padma came out.

"Padma," Harry greeted and winced when she nearly jumped out of her skin.

She had her wand pointed at him as he slipped off his cloak, "Harry?"

"Hi, sorry about that, forgot you couldn't see me."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, lowering her wand.

"A favour for a friend. Um, out curiosity, what would have happened to me if I tried to open that door?"

"Oh," she said before smirking, "Well, if you tried to magic the door open you would have been blasted back and if you just tried the handle you would have grown a wolf's tail."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"Only Flitwick, McGonagall, and Dumbledore can perform the countercurse."

Harry winced.

She smiled, "So, can I help you in your-?"

"Luna's shoes are missing."

Padma tilted her head, "Lovegood doesn't _like_ wearing shoes."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Well, no but-"

"Someone stole her shoes last year and she thought it was some creature. I think it is her housemates being prats."

A determined look crossed Padma's face, "And your charm led you to the seventh year dorm, not her dorm a door before this one?"

Harry nodded.

She turned to the last door and threw it wide open. She used a charm to keep it that way so Harry could see into the room. Luckily for him, no one else was there.

"Accio Luna Lovegood's shoes," and the came flying out from under a bed, all three pairs plus a pair of dinosaur slippers that seemed to give little soundless roars.

"Marrietta," Padma said darkly.

Harry was seriously started to hate that girl.

Padma seemed to agree with him because she asked, "What should we do to her?"

Harry reached into his back and tossed Padma a small package.

"What are these?"

"I don't really know, the Weasley twins owled them to me."

Padma's smile was downright evil, "Never understatement twins."

* * *

That night after dinner, Luna found her shoes at the foot of her bed, Dilly curled up in one of her boots. She picked up the kitten and spun her.

"Oh, you're the best kitty-cat ever, Dilly!" She hugged the kitten who rubbed appreciatively under Luna's chin. "You found my shoes!"

Dilly meowed, as if to say, 'yes, indeed, I did find your feet smells, Human.'

* * *

AN: I had a good week, but my mind is kind of unfocused, so I went to Luna for some motivation and a smile. Comments, requests, remarks, kittens?


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